Happy Like a Fool
by Nina of the Galaxy
Summary: Laurel and Connor, Oliver's son with Sandra Hawke, meet for the first time and Laurel is super nervous.


Laurel looked in the mirror and fidgeted with the hem of her dress. This was new. She wasn't sure how to do deal with this. She had taken on corporate giants and never once wanted to jump out of a window like she did currently, waiting for Connor, Oliver's son, her stepson to arrive at their door.

"You look great," Oliver said as he leaned in the doorway.

Laurel looked over to him. "Do you think he'll like me?" She asked him as she looked back to the mirror. She couldn't tell if it looked like she was trying to hard to be someone she wasn't.

"I'm sure he's gonna like you," He told her.

She groaned. That wasn't good at all. "How can you be sure? I mean you hardly know the kid. He has to love you because you're his dad. But I'm gonna be a kind of stepmom. He doesn't even have to like me," She pouted.

Oliver shook his head and chuckled. This was the first time she'd been spooked. Ever. He was killed and ran away so many times, that she was used to that. She could handle grief like the best of them, but new life in their lives, it was amusing to see her flail just a little bit. "I can be sure," He started, "Because you're a great mom. Thea wouldn't have gotten this far without you. Sin's here too. You have more parenting skills in your little finger than I do in my whole body," He said as he kissed her on the temple.

"And you're definitely sure?" Laurel asked as she looked at the mirror one more time.

He nodded eagerly and took her by the waist and hugged her, leaning his chin on her shoulder. "I am definitely completely and totally sure," He promised as he kissed her on the temple.

The doorbell rang and she tensed. He stopped hugging her and took her hand instead and dragged her out of the bedroom. They all had to face this sooner or later and Sandra and Connor had to get to know her. That was one of the agreements they all made.

He opened the door and Connor zoomed in past them, "Sorry," Sandra said as she put some more stuff in a bag. "He's been hyped up all day. Jack, you know my boyfriend, he was supposed to make sure he didn't get into anything while I was in the shower, but coffee beans," She said, practically exhausted as she looked up. "Laurel," She said.

Laurel nodded. "Hi, Sandra," She said as she put her hand out. She saw how old Connor was and there was no doubt in her mind of when he came into being. Sandra knew about her.

Sandra took her hand awkwardly and shook it. "Hi, Laurel. I thought it was going to be just Oliver this weekend." She said and blushed as she looked at her shoes.

Laurel shook her head and smiled. "We're past the fact that you slept with him while he was with me. And had a baby. But Connor is part of his life. So Connor is part of my life too. And I need to acclimate to that," She said, "You're Connor's mom. We're gonna be seeing a lot of each other. So we'll see you on Monday?" She asked.

Sandra nodded. "Yeah, monday. Call if you need anything," She told Oliver and then left their porch and went back to her car. They didn't close the door till she left, but it seemed like it would be okay.

Oliver looked at Laurel with a grin, "And you were scared," He chuckled to himself.

Laurel went in and watched as Connor pulled a box of toys that they had put out in the living room and splayed them everywhere. That was going to be fun to pick up later, but she didn't worry about. She just looked at the little boy that he hadn't gotten to know.

Oliver nudged her into the room and she went. She sat down by Connor and picked up a toy and he looked to Oliver. "Who's this?" He said, in the most adorable voice that warmed her heart.

Oliver sat down in front of him. "You know how you're Mommy and Jack are together?" He asked. Connor nodded eagerly. "Well, this is Laurel. We're together like you're Mommy and Jack." He smiled.

Connor blinked a couple of times at her and studied her. He was quiet. Like really quiet.

"Will you take me to get ice cream?" He asked Laurel finally. "Jack takes me to get cookies. But I want ice cream," He said, stalwart.

Laurel laughed and nodded. "I think that can definitely be done. You know Oliver loves ice cream," She divulged conspiratorially to him. The thing he missed the most. She would never forget that. "So I bet we can get him to get you a double scoop." Laurel whispered to Connor.

He looked up at her like she had just given him the secrets to the universe, Oliver thought. Connor had the same look of awe that he had so often around her. Part of her charm, being completely amazing to Queen Men he guessed.

Laurel rolled a ball between her and Connor who rolled it right back toward her with force. She was a natural at this. She took to kids like a fish to water. Hearing that he even had a kid, he'd been slightly bewildered about how it even happened. He wasn't ready back then. He wasn't really ready now either, but he felt like it was easier now. He knew how to lead.

Which of course, helped him very little with the impossibly independent Connor Hawke.

Laurel got up off the floor and Oliver followed her. "And you thought you would be bad at this. Look, that kid adores you," He said as he looked onto to Connor who smiled not at him, but at Laurel. "You did better in five minutes with him than I did on my first day."

She shrugged. "Helps that I've got a pretty kick ass boyfriend." She said as she kissed him gently. "I'm gonna go get some music, so you two play. And then figure out what we're doing for lunch, because I know what we're doing for dinner," She said with a wicked grin.

At six, she looked to Connor and picked him up, "Time for dinner!" She squealed to him.

"Dinner!" He yelled, excited.

She took him outside and put him in the car as Oliver followed them. He hadn't even noticed the carseat which had been put in the back of the porsche. She took the driver's seat and he nodded. "Okay," He said.

She drove them to Big Belly and Connor grinned. "Big Belly! Mommy hates this place, but I love it," He told the car's audience.

It didn't surprise her that Sandra was not about Big Belly burgers. She seemed like the type, all natural granola type. She wasn't even sure where she got that vibe from Sandra, but she did and she didn't want to think about it. "Well, we don't have to tell Mommy!" She told him. "This will be you and me and Daddy's secret, okay?" She asked.

Oliver looked over to her. "Already keeping secrets?" He asked her with an eyebrow raised.

She nodded. "More than you know, _daddy."_ She told him with a wink and got Connor out and ushered them into the establishment, where Carly still worked and smiled to them as they sat down at a booth and Connor read the menu.

When dinner was done, Carly asked them about dessert. Laurel nodded. "We would love some ice cream," She said.

Carly looked to Oliver, who nodded. "Three please," He asked.

Laurel and Connor looked between each other and grinned. "And could we make those double scoops?" Laurel asked and she looked like a little kid with the biggest grin on her face.

Connor couldn't help but mimic her. And Carly couldn't help but acquiesce them.

Oliver looked over to her. "This was your plan all along. You didn't care about the burgers. You wanted the ice cream. You wanted to get him hopped up on ice cream," He said, scandalized.

Connor threw his arms around Oliver. "We love you," He said eagerly and nuzzled into Oliver's side. How could he be mad at that? He couldn't take them out of their moment and when Carly brought them three ice creams with two big scoops, he had to admit that it was a pretty good idea.

Connor hugged Laurel. "Thank you for the ice cream." He said.

Laurel hugged him back and carded her fingers through his hair. "Not even a problem." She said to him and licked at her ice cream as she looked to Oliver. This, she could do this. She could be a mom. That was part of their future, she thought. They'd have babies on their own and feed them ice cream too.

Connor went to bed easily, listening to a story about superheroes that Oliver read to him as Laurel looked on. He was better than he gave himself credit for. He was good with Connor.

Oliver kissed him on the forehead and then headed out and took Laurel to bed. "You didn't do too bad today. I told you that you were gonna do great." He said as he threaded his fingers between hers. "How'd it feel?" He asked.

She nodded. "Good. We should have some. Eventually," She said, adding that, so as not to spook him.

"I think we should get married before we do that," He told her with a little bit of a laugh. They hadn't really talked about it before.

She rolled her eyes, "Is this you're way of asking me to marry you?" She joked as she reached for the remote so she could turn on the news and get settled into bed, like they normally did.

"Yes," He said as he produced a ring box from his pants pocket. "I've been carrying this around waiting for the right right time to ask you. And the way you handled yourself today, god, you're the woman I want to marry. Dinah Laurel Lance, will you do one of the stupidest things you've ever done in your whole life and marry a wretch like me? Give me always and forever?" He asked as he opened the box and she saw the ring. Moira's ring.

She nodded. "I'll give you always and forever. As long as we're together," She said to him, "I remember the first time I saw that ring. Your mom swore it would end up on my hand. She'd be proud of you." Laurel said as she kissed him sweetly and he slipped the ring on her finger.

"To be honest, she'd be prouder of you," Oliver said as he cuddled up to her and turned on the tv and smiled. "You're really gonna be Connor's stepmother now. Think you can handle it?" He asked.

She grinned and nodded. "Bring it on,"

"No nerves?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Like you said, I literally rocked harder in the first five minutes than you did your entire first day. I think that's a pretty solid recommendation." She told him.

"It is. You're perfect," He grinned.

This was exactly the life he wanted. Sure, it had taken him longer than it should have to get here, but all that mattered was that he was setting down roots. He was becoming a family person. He found a family and now it was time to make one.


End file.
